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/Online community

Suspicions of cheating using AI-powered glasses in a recent tax accountant examination have sparked a similar controversy surrounding the certified customs broker examination in South Korea.

According to online communities on Nov. 13, a post recently appeared on Everytime, an anonymous online community for university students, written by a user who said they were preparing for the customs broker examination.

"I'm preparing for the customs broker exam too, and normally only one or two people pass both stages in the same year. But this year, there are 10," the user wrote. "It's really disheartening."

The term saengdongcha refers to candidates who pass both the first and second stages of the customs broker examination in the same year.

According to the Human Resources Development Service of Korea (HRDK), 534 of the 581 eligible candidates sat for the second stage of the 43rd Certified Customs Broker Examination this year. Of those, only 92 ultimately passed.

Online, some users raised suspicions that the increase in candidates passing both stages in the same year could be linked to cheating using advanced devices such as AI-powered glasses. With smart glasses equipped with AI features attracting growing attention, concerns have emerged that they could be misused to access outside information during examinations.

Some users warned that concerns about cheating could spread across professional qualification examinations. "People might as well take the professional engineer exam wearing AI glasses," one commented. Another asked, "Does this mean every kind of exam is going to have problems now?" Others suggested restricting the wearing of glasses in examination rooms or introducing separate verification procedures.

However, some cautioned that it was premature to link the increase in same-year passers to AI-assisted cheating when the number of such candidates had not been accurately verified. They pointed out that there is no official system for confirming how long successful candidates spent preparing for the examinations, meaning the statistics rely on surveys conducted independently by private academies and candidates themselves.

A user in an online community for customs broker exam candidates explained that major private academies obtain lists of successful candidates and survey them about their preparation periods through events such as celebrations for those who passed. The academies then compile statistics based on those responses. The user also claimed that some candidates report preparation periods that differ from their actual study histories.

Indeed, online commenters expressed similar concerns. "Some people understate how long they studied, so verification is needed," one wrote. Another said, "Someone who studies for a year but fails the first stage could pass both stages the following year and still claim to be a same-year passer." Conversely, others shared personal accounts of having met candidates who genuinely passed both stages in the same year.

The controversy also reflects concerns that advances in AI technology could expose limitations in existing examination management practices. Candidates have called for measures to prevent cheating involving AI-powered glasses and other wearable devices in future professional qualification examinations.

                                                                                                             Jeong A-reum